MsLatté’s Daebak Cybercafé (Kdrama addicts #41): A poorly anticipated placeholder thread to contain the Filthy Noonas’ ongoing musings on all things Korean, with Japanese and Chinese sprinkles

[boatyardblues]

A quiet corner of MN for serious addicts of Kdrama, or the K-curious. Most of our viewing is drawn from Netflix and Viki, with a sprinkling of AmazonPrime, AppleTV and Disney+. There are also platforms streaming content illegally if you go looking. We don’t promote them as they are peppered with pop-ups of “Olga” and friends offering a good time, but we can point you in the right direction. We also dip into Japanese, Taiwanese & Chinese drama as & when.

The previous thread is here but our list is cumulative so includes recommendations and favourites from all previous threads. Shows marked with a star are more uniformly loved or admired. In categorising series, its important to note most Korean dramas have multiple strands - e.g. supernatural, romance and a thriller; crime series with fantasy elements. Genre-busting mash-ups are normal. Series that are tagged as dark may also have moments of comedy or the absurd, likewise fluff can have heavier moments. Writer/actor Simon Pegg referred to it fondly as “tonal chaos” - it’s part of kdrama’s charm. View the categories below as best approximate & ask if you need guidance about suitability for younger viewers.

Comedy (with a side order of absurd)
I picked up a celebrity on the street (Viki)
My Fellow Citizens (Viki/Netflix)
The Fiery Priest (Netflix)

Crime/Thriller
Come and Hug Me (Dramafast)
Graceful Family (Viki)
Healer (Netflix)🌟
Heartless City (Viki)
He is Psychometric (Viki)
I Hear Your Voice (Netflix /Viki)
Life on Mars (classy remake of BBC series, no major site yet)
Little Women (Netflix)
My Name (Netflix)
My Secret Terrius (Netflix)🌟
Signal (Netflix)🌟
Somebody (Netflix, content warning: sexual & violence)
Snowdrop (Disney+)
Stranger - 2 seasons (Netflix)
Suspicious Partner (Netflix)🌟
The Lies Within (Netflix)🌟
Tunnel (Netflix)🌟

Historical/Period drama (“sageuk”)
100 Days My Prince (Viki/Netflix)
Crowned Clown (Viki/Netflix)🌟
Mr Queen (Viki)🌟
Mr Sunshine (Netflix)
Our Blooming Youth (Viki)
Pachinko (AppleTV)
Rookie Historian Goo Hae-Ryung (Netflix)
Tale of Nokdu (Viki/Netflix)🌟
The Forbidden Marriage (Viki)
The King’s Affection (Netflix)
The Red Sleeve (Viki)🌟

Romance - lighter & fluffier
Beating Again (Netflix)
Business Proposal (Netflix)
Coffee Prince (Netflix)
Dali & the Cocky Prince (Viki)
Don’t Dare to Dream (Netflix, or as Jealousy Incarnate on Viki)🌟
Gogh, The Starry Night (Viki)
Happy Once Again (Netflix)
Her Private Life (Viki/Netflix)
His Master’s Sun (Netflix) 🌟
Hometown Cha Cha Cha (Viki)🌟
Love from a Star (Netflix)🌟
Lovestruck in the City (Netflix)
Monthly Magazine Home (Viki)
Pinocchio (Netflix)
Radio Romance (Netflix)
Romance is the Bonus Book (Netflix)🌟
Run On (Netflix)
She Was Pretty (Netflix)🌟
The Beauty Inside (Viki/Netflix)
The Secret Life of My Secretary (Viki/Netflix)
Thirty Not Seventeen (Viki) or as Still 17 (Netflix)
To My Star [BL] (Viki)
True Beauty (Viki)
Twenty-five Twenty-one (Netflix)🌟
Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo (Netflix/Viki)
What’s Up With Secretary Kim (Viki)🌟
Where Stars Land (Viki)🌟
You are my Destiny (Netflix)
You Make Me Dance [BL] (Viki)
Yumi’s Cells (Viki)

Romance - heavier weight/more grown up themes
Another Miss Oh (Netflix)🌟
Because This Is My First Life (Viki/Netflix)🌟
Chicago Typewriter (Viki/Netflix)🌟
Crash Course in Romance (Netflix)
Crash Landing on You (Netflix)🌟
Descendants of the Sun (Viki/Netflix)
Doctors (Netflix)
Doom At Your Service (Viki)
Extraordinary Attorney Woo (Netflix)
Fight For My Way (Viki/Netflix)🌟
Go Back Couple (Viki)/Couple on the Backtrack (Netflix)
I’ll Go To You When The Weather is Nice (Viki)
It’s OK Not To Be OK (Netflix)
Just Between Lovers (Viki)/Rain or Shine (Netflix)🌟
Mad For Each Other (Netflix)🌟
Melo is my Nature (Viki)/Be Melodramatic (other sites)🌟
My Strange Hero (Viki)
One Spring Night (Netflix)
Red Carpet - film (Netflix, very adult content)
Romantic Dr Kim - seasons 1&2 (Viki)
Search: WWW (Viki, Netflix)🌟
Something in the Rain (Netflix)
The Handmaid (film, Netflix - content warning: explicit sexual content)
The Package (Viki)

Straighter ‘Slice of Life’ dramas on universal themes
Gaus Electronics (Viki)🌟
Hospital Playlist (Netflix)🌟
Hospital Playlist 2 (Netflix)🌟
Into The Ring (Viki)
Itaewon Class (Netflix)
Live (Netflix)
Misaeng (Netflix)🌟
My Liberation Notes🌟
Move to Heaven (Netflix)
My Mister (Viki/Netflix)🌟
My Unfamiliar Family (Viki)🌟
Navillera (Netflix)🌟
Prison Playbook (Netflix)🌟
On The Verge of Insanity (Viki)
Once Again (Viki)
Our Blues (Netflix)🌟
Stove League (Viki)/Hot Stove League (Netflix)
Racket Boys (Netflix)
Would You Like a Cup of Coffee (Viki🌟

Supernatural/zombies/vampires/fantasy/sci-fi - lighter & fluffier
Alchemy of Souls (Netflix) 🌟Extraordinary You (Netflix)
Goblin (Viki)🌟
I am not a Robot (Netflix)
Legend of the Blue Sea (Viki/Netflix)
Kiss Goblin (Viki, webdrama)
My Holo Love (Netflix)🌟
Orange Marmalade (Netflix)
While You Were Sleeping (Viki)🌟

Supernatural/zombies/vampires/fantasy/sci-fi - darker/more grown up themes
#Alive (Netflix)
Black (Netflix)🌟
Delivery Man (Viki)
Happiness (Viki/Netflix)🌟
Hotel del Luna (Viki/Netflix)🌟
King: The Eternal Monarch (Netflix)
Kingdom (Netflix)🌟
Kingdom: Ashin of the North (Netflix)
Mystic Pop-up Bar (Netflix)
Peninsula - film, Train to Busan sequel (Amazon Prime, iMovies)
Sisyphus (Netflix)
Sell Your Haunted House (Netflix)
The Guest (Netflix)
Train to Busan - film (Amazon Prime)
W: Two Worlds (Viki & Netflix)🌟
Zombie Detective (Viki/Netflix)

Guilty Pleasures (for the joy, not the quality)
Bride of Habaek (Netflix)
Hwarang (Viki/Netflix)
My Secret Romance (Viki)
The Last Empress (Viki/Netflix)
Sassy Go Go (Netflix)

Mad as a box of frogs/uncategorisable
Strong Girl Bong Soon (Netflix)
School Nurse Files (Netflix)

Not Korean ‘You May Also Like’
Regulars also branch out into Japanese, Taiwanese and Chinese drama. The Chinese & Taiwanese stuff is much more variable quality-wise, so we’ve noted anything decent here:

Before We Get Married (Viki - Taiwanese)
Find Yourself (Netflix - Chinese)
First Love (Netflix - Japanese)🌟
Go Go Squid (Viki - Chinese)
In House Marriage Honey (Viki, Japanese)
In Time With You (Viki - Japanese)
Instead of Tipsy Why Not Get Drunk (Viki, Chinese)
Lost Romance (Viki, Taiwanese)
Love O2O (Viki, Chinese)
Meet Yourself (Viki, Chinese)
Million Yen Women (Netflix, Japanese)
Morning Call (Netflix, Japanese)
My Little Happiness (Viki, Chinese)
Put Your Head on My Shoulder (Netflix, Chinese)
Rinko Wants To Try (Viki)
Some Day or One Day (Viki, Taiwanese)
Sweat and Soap (Viki, Japanese)
The Makanai (Netflix, Japanese)
The Romance of Tiger & Rose (Viki, Chinese)
To Fly with Me (Viki, Chinese)
Tientsin Mystic (Netflix, Chinese)
You Are My Hero (Viki, Chinese)*

AVOID aka “the shit list” 💩
Melting Me Softly
The Birth of a Beauty
Well-Intentioned Love season 1 (S2 is fine & stands alone)

Top Scoring 2022 Dramas
Courtesy of much-missed Hello’s kdrama spreadsheet, updated by thread regulars. Marks out of 10.

#1 My Liberation Notes 9.45
#2 Alchemy of Souls 9.10
#3 First Love 8.88 (Jdrama)
#4 Our Blues 8.83
#5 Gaus Electronics 8.75

Top Scoring 2021 Dramas
#1 The Red Sleeve - 10
#2 Happiness - 9
#3 Devil Judge - 8.75
#4 Squid Game - 8.6
#5 Navillera - 8.57

Top Scoring 2020 dramas
#1 Mr Queen - 9.4
#2 Parasite (film) - 9.05
#3 It's Okay To Not Be Okay - 8.88
#4 The Uncanny Counter - 8.50
#5 Once Again - 8.42

Top Scoring 2019 dramas
#1 Her Private Life - 9.40
#2 Melo is My Nature - 9.00
#3 tied: Crash Landing On You, The Crowned Clown, The Lies Within, and The Tale of Nokdu - 8.75
#4 Hotel del Luna - 8.50
#5 tied: Romance is a Bonus Book, and Search: WWW - 8.17

We are fans of all things Korean, so equally happy to talk about Korean cookery, language, current affairs, film and music when the mood takes us. A few of us are learning Korean, Japanese and/or Mandarin (some more diligently than others), so we swap tips and links to language resources. Basically, anything topical goes.

We often resort to acronyms and/or abbreviations of show titles or actors’ names. Don’t be afraid to ask for help/clues if we’re not making sense or have descended into acronym soup.

If you want to join us down the kdrama rabbit hole, welcome! Pull up a chair, say goodbye to early nights and get stuck in!

Thanks so much for this thread and previous. I am a fairly new KDrama fan - now addict, and am well and truly hooked. Also slightly overcome with excitement and wanting to charge up to Edinburgh as this is happening https://twitter.com/everydaysiwan/status/1658505483811164166?s=12

Hi Dolores! 👋 Welcome aboard. I got ahead of myself last night. Our usual practice is to open a new thread ready but fill the old one so we don’t lose stragglers. Thread 40 is still running down if you want to join is over there. Embedded link in the OP, para 2 I think.

Placemarking the placeholder...

Welcome Dolores, you've found your tribe here!

Thank you for the new thread boaty

Welcome Dolores! Watch out Edinburgh..... I wonder if they popped in to M&S Food for a meal deal?

Are we on officially on this thread now? Place-marking anyway 🙂

I totally peaked too soon on Monday night. 😂

And thanks for new thread boaty! 😘

Cheers for the thread boaty, and welcome Dolores! 🙂🖐

I might head up for that Koreanow thing. I can always convince my other half if there is food involved. We had Korean street food from visiting foodtruck to our village last week. Nice homemade kimchi and tonkatsu tofu were my favs.

ありがとう for the new thread Boaty 😊

https://www.instagram.com/p/CsYHWWVN4Fx/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

Suga seems to be having a blast on tour! 💜

Tonight Instagram has given me : Gong Yoo's cats (so fluffy - not a euphemism 😂) and Kim Beom's photoshoot for Cosmopolitan 👀 🔥he is fast ascending the ranks into my top 5 (or so, it's a revolving door) oppa's.

migs I love how happy Suga seems on tour - like really loving every minute of interaction. I'm glad he is getting so much love.

Time for another top 5 oppa now in Black Knight...

Also #LastPostOnThreadWars - you win this round FedUp 😂😂

Let’s warm up the new thread with Woo Do Hwan’s beautiful abs! 👏

https://www.instagram.com/p/CsXmljBJzS1/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

Flippin' heck boaty! That's Bloodhound isn't it? I'll put June 9th in my diary 😂 plot looks great

I feel like there’s loads of you on Insta that I should be following but if it’s not totally bleeding obvious I haven’t. I’m worried about following people’s RL friends and family inappropriately. (Social media-phobic GenXer. I make an exception for MN. And Insta, because oppa abs and kittens.) Feel free to tip me the nod if I should follow you. I have given enough clues in my Insta handle/bio.

I've messaged you boaty - I'm a bit crap at insta, but similarly if anyone wants a follow from me send me a pm 🙂

Thanks @boatyardblues for the new thread.
on Insta, I have messaged someone (who turned out to be someone else). It was my wild guess gone horribly wrong 😂
In my defence she was following couple of chingus from here.

Welcome @Dragonrock, what are you watching these days?

Hope everyone's Sat is going well so far! Good news for us today as ds1 got into his first choice grammar school - he was not impressed with my rendition of 'Otsukare' as per SOPE tradition 🤷‍♀️ . I'm off out tonight with my friend for some Japanese food and cocktails.

MrLoup and I still enjoying Black Knight - we are up to ep 4 as he keeps falling asleep. KWB is really doing it for me in this whole post-apocalypse freedom fighter scenario, ngl 🤭

Well done master Loup!
Hooyeon is the cover star of this month's GQ which feels like a bit of a moment. I hovered in the supermarket to read the interview which was very good and rather touching.

Migs I too am getting a great deal of joy out of seeing how much Yoongi is enjoying the tour and all the attention. I am curious how he will keep the momentum going for a 2-hour plus show. It's alot to carry alone. Particularly as I believe he does some BTS rapline numbers. Wonder how they will feel without the momentum of the group? (I haven't been watching too much concert footage online, want to save myself for 4 June 🤘😀)

Back in the early days of my burgeoning interest I used to refer to him as the 'Korean Lional Blair' 😁 (a la Korean Dennis Waterman). Bear with me here 😁 For the neat figure, boyish charm (I'm thinking of Lionel in his 80s Give Us A Clue Leeds era), air of consummate showbiz professionalism and the feeling that he would be performing well into his twilight years. These days he looks worlds away from the heavily made-up, neat-haired idol that first reeled me in against all expectations back in 2020, but I'm so glad for him that the love of performing is still palpably there. I did think for a while he might take a back seat and go more into the production side.

Brilliant news for DS 👏👏👏

TheLoup congrats on DS's school result! 🙌When work was asking for ways to get people connected online during lockdown I did suggest an 'Otsukare' singalong with cocktails every Friday at 17.00, but sadly the idea didn't catch on 🤔(It was the Otsukare Japan fan video that first made me think about Yoongi = Lionel Blair. And J-Hope had a bit of the Larry Graysons there I thought 😁😍)

Re: your message on the last thread about the whereabouts of the Taecyeon X vampire - we shall see 😁

Have I had a nice Saturday so far? Yes, until I realised I have to prepare AND MEMORISE 6 minutes of talking in Korean for my exam 💀😱😭Aigoooooo

Drama-wise, am up-to-date with TGBM (wonderful), finished Beef (genius, that last episode, just stunning), and enjoying Black Knight and Takeru Satoh. Hope to start Dr Cha as well 🤘

Thanks chingus ☺️ he's celebrating with a Legend of Zelda TOTK marathon....